97 Perla in Saudi Arabia

Team 24 Poster

Team Reflection

Reflecting on Perla’s story, we value the innovative practices the resort has adopted, especially regarding solar energy use and grey water recycling. These initiatives not only align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—specifically SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)—but also showcase a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. It is impressive how these innovations have resulted in significant cost savings, allowing for reinvestment in guest experiences and enhancing employee well-being through a positive work environment. Seeing how Perla has attracted eco-conscious travellers, leading to increased occupancy rates and customer loyalty, is truly inspiring. Overall, we feel a sense of hope and admiration for the leaders behind these initiatives; their dedication to sustainability sets a powerful example for the hospitality industry and encourages us to consider how we can integrate similar values into our future efforts. The story of Perla resonates deeply with our academic understanding of sustainability and the triple bottom line, which highlights the need to balance economic, social, and environmental responsibilities. Perla’s innovative practices, like solar energy use and grey water recycling, demonstrate how a business can operate sustainably while achieving financial success. This reinforces our understanding that sustainability is not just a cost; it can serve as a strategic advantage that boosts profitability and market appeal.

Additionally, the commitment to eco-friendly practices aligns with the principles of accountability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Perla’s approach challenges the traditional belief that businesses must prioritize profit over environmental and social concerns. Instead, it illustrates that a well-executed sustainability strategy can lead to increased customer loyalty and employee satisfaction, ultimately benefiting the bottom line. While we have a foundational grasp of sustainability concepts, this story exposed gaps in our knowledge regarding the practical applications of these principles in the hospitality industry. We were particularly surprised by how thoroughly Perla has integrated sustainability into its operations, setting a standard for other businesses. This challenges our assumptions about the hospitality sector, which we often view as less adaptable to sustainable practices due to its resource-intensive nature. Overall, Perla’s story not only reinforces our previous knowledge but also broadens our perspective on the potential for businesses to take the lead in sustainability. It encourages us to think critically about how we can apply these lessons in our future careers, advocating for practices that prioritize the well-being of the planet and society alongside economic success.Exploring Perla’s story reinforces our belief in the potential of sustainable practices within the hospitality industry and encourages us to rethink how we can incorporate sustainability into future projects. Perla’s initiatives, such as the use of solar energy and greywater recycling, led to substantial cost savings and increased customer loyalty by appealing to eco-conscious travellers. This example highlights that adopting sustainable strategies is not just optional; it is a strategic advantage that can drive success, attract customers, and enhance brand reputation.

As aspiring business professionals, we hope to apply similar strategies to balance environmental responsibility with economic success in our future endeavours. Developing projects that incorporate renewable energy solutions and recycling systems while ensuring customers are informed about these efforts can allow for a competitive advantage and positive brand image within the business sector. Additionally, integrating these sustainability practices into company culture promotes employee participation and creates a positive, supportive work environment. On a team level, this experience motivates us to seek partnerships with sustainability experts and to propose initiatives that align with the triple bottom line: profit, people, and the planet. From this cross-cultural experience, our team learned about the impact that innovative sustainability practices can have on a business’s success and its community. Engaging with the AIM2Flourish story allowed us to see firsthand how a commitment to sustainability can resonate across different cultures and markets, especially within the context of Saudi Arabia’s evolving tourism industry. This aligns with what we were taught in our courses about the importance of understanding local contexts and the global implications of sustainable business practices. We recognized that sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires adaptation to cultural, environmental, and economic factors. The insights gained from our courses significantly benefited our teamwork by providing us with a theoretical framework to analyze Perla’s practices. Concepts such as the triple bottom line, corporate social responsibility, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guided our discussions and helped us critically evaluate the business’s impact. This academic foundation enabled us to approach the project with a structured mindset, ensuring that our reflections were grounded in established principles of sustainability.

In terms of task distribution, we organized our work by assigning specific roles based on each member’s strengths and interests. For instance, some team members were responsible for conducting the interview with Perla’s founder, while others concentrated on connecting these practices to the relevant SDGs. We also designated a member to compile our ideas and ensure coherence in our final written component. Regular meetings facilitated open communication, allowing us to share insights and provide feedback on each other’s contributions.Overall, this cross-cultural experience not only deepened our understanding of sustainability in business but also demonstrated the importance of teamwork and effective communication in achieving common goals. It reinforced the idea that diverse perspectives can lead to more innovative solutions and learnings.

Individual Reflections

Katelyn

Throughout the course of this COIL experience, I have had the unique opportunity to contribute to a group dynamic that worked towards common goals in order to bring our AIM2Flourish story to life. The ability to work with other students from different cultural backgrounds sheds light on cross-cultural differentiation and brought forward new challenges for me personally and our group as we navigated through these differences. From language barriers and time differences to varying work styles, these were all important learning moments to grow from. My role throughout this project consisted of coordinating and transcribing any group meetings conducted in order to establish a clear direction for our team as we progressed throughout the COIL project. Additionally,  I helped develop our company story to provide readers with a clear understanding of Perla’s initiatives. Highlighting their efforts toward implementing sustainable practices in their operations. The opportunity to work amongst an international group of peers has been a privilege, and all my fellow teammates have been nothing short of amazing during the duration of this project. I feel as though I have not only deepened my understanding of how business can work with sustainable development goals in mind but also the importance of communication in cross-cultural teams to allow for success. I hope that our work on the COIL project has allowed for greater consideration of ways in which we, as individuals, can consider the sustainable development goals in our everyday lives. If given the opportunity in future endeavours, I would be open to exploring work internationally after my wonderful experience during the COIL project. I am also looking forward to exploring how Perla will continue their efforts towards the sustainable development goals. Reflecting on this experience, I am grateful for the chance to contribute to such a meaningful project, and I am eager to apply the lessons I have learned as I move forward in my academic and professional career, particularly in relation to sustainable business.

Hailee

The COIL experience has been a memorable part of my undergraduate degree, offering a unique opportunity to collaborate with students globally. As my group members mentioned, we anticipated challenges with language barriers and the difficulties of coordinating meeting times due to time differences. However, we quickly found a time that worked for everyone and held weekly virtual meetings that kept us connected and organized around upcoming assignment due dates. It was exciting to be part of an international project and connect with students from diverse backgrounds, exchanging ideas and learning about each other’s perspectives on sustainability. My main role involved helping shape our story, and I enjoyed the process of integrating everyone’s ideas into a cohesive narrative that truly represented our group. Learning about Perla’s sustainable initiatives and gaining insights into the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia added valuable perspectives to the project, particularly in understanding how sustainability practices vary across different cultures. Using digital tools helped us stay organized and engaged throughout, allowing us to navigate challenges effectively. Overall, this experience deepened my understanding of sustainability in various contexts and reinforced the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and open communication in a global setting, leaving me feeling accomplished and eager to apply these insights in future international projects.

Sofia L 
Participating in the AIM2Flourish project was an eye-opening experience for me. I never thought I’d enjoy tackling time zone differences and language barriers so much! It was fascinating to work with people from different cultures and learn how to create a space where everyone felt comfortable sharing their ideas.

Diving into Perla’s sustainability story really opened my mind. I was amazed to discover how businesses can use things like solar energy and water recycling to be eco-friendly while still making money. It made me realize that sustainability isn’t just a buzzword. It’s something any company can actually do.

I surprised myself with how committed I became to the project. I found myself looking forward to our virtual meetings and always tried to be prepared ahead of time. The poster-making part was a real challenge at first. I’m not usually the artistic type. But as I got into it, I actually had a lot of fun bringing Perla’s story to life visually.

This project taught me so much more than just facts about sustainability. I learned how to work with people from all over the world, how to communicate across cultures, and how to turn complex ideas into something visual. I’m excited to use these skills in future projects and maybe even in my career someday.

Sofia A

Having the chance to participate in the AIM2Flourish project was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. Not only to gather some insight and knowledge about sustainable practices within the hospitality industry, but also to navigate and adapt to cross-cultural dynamics, time zone differences, and non-Spanish speaking cultures, which I for sure enjoyed. This has helped to learn how to approach different cultural and social perspectives respectfully and how to create a safe space where everyone can share their own ideas and feel comfortable. As for the learning experience regarding the chosen company, having to investigate and getting to know Perla’s story regarding sustainability has made me realize effective ways any type of business in the world can implement initiatives (like solar energy or grey water recycling) while remaining profitable and appealing to the public. I really thank the team members that I got, as they committed to each virtual meeting, as for preparing and taking part in each part within the project, always ahead of time. On the other hand, I really enjoyed making the poster part, and though, at first, I thought it would be quite challenging to create a visual representation about a story from a company like Perla, I eventually ended up enjoying it!

Aram

The COIL project experience was unique. It allowed me the opportunity to participate in a new experience that I had never experienced before. I was afraid that there would be difficulty in communicating between team members due to the difference in languages ​​and time between countries, but we were able to choose the right time and day for everyone. The process of searching for the company that we will write about was a little difficult, but I was able to arrange an appointment with the founder of Perla Resort and I was able to conduct an interview with him. One of the new things I learned was that I conducted and arranged an interview. It was a new experience for me, and I enjoyed doing it. When I was conducting an interview with the founder, I discovered that environmentally friendly businesses and innovations can be added to all types of businesses because I did not expect that there would be a resort that uses solar panels and reuses water.

References

Goal 6 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6

Goal 7 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7